Show-window construction.



No. 709,985; Patentedsept. 3o', |902.,

H. HUNTER. sHow wmnow coNsTR'uc'TloN.-

(Application led Nov. 4, 1901.)

2 sheets-,sheet (No Model) lvlfinessas 0.5709385 Patented sept; 3o, |902. H. HUNTER. SHOW WINDOW CONSTRUCTION.

(Application med Nom-4, 1901.)

' 2 sheets-sheet 2.

l(No Model.)

llNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAMILTON HUNTER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SHELLEY D. ROUSE, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

"SHOW-,WINDOW CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofrLetters Patent No. 709,985, dated September 30, 1902.

AppLcation tiled November 4, 1901. Serial No. 81,020. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, HAMILTON HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Show-vVindo'w Construction; and I do declare the following to be a'clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being also called to the accompanyxo ing two sheets of drawings, with the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.Y

This invention relates to a particular construction and arrangement of show-windows I5 of the kind `which are connected with the fronts of stores and sale-establishments and serve for the purpose of exhibiting goods and merchandise of the various kinds. The space behind these show-windows, which is geuzo erally inclosed, is fitted out with fixtures of various kinds-shelves, brackets, hangers, rods with hooks, racks, &c.-to suit thekind of goods which is to be exhibited andfor the support of which they serve. From time to z5 time the goods so exhibited are changed, the arranging and placing of new or freshgoods in place of the previously-exhibited ones being usually called dressing the window and has become quite an art, requiring con- 3o siderable skill and experience to obtain best effects. At present this dressing or redressing of show-windows is greatly handicapped by reason of the limited space within which the person is oonlined while arranging the articles. It is rendered stillmore difcult by the lack of ventilation and fresh air, which difficulty is aggravated by the heat due to the presence of light, since such work is'often done at night to prevent loss of use of the 4o Window during the day.v Another objection is the difficulty of the-dresser to correctly judge the effects of his work, owing tohis inability to View the saine at proper distance unless he proceeds outside and in front of the window. There is finally the loss of the use of a window for its intended purpose rto,

exhibit goods, since during dressing itis usually closed against inspection from -the outside by blinds or curtains; This loss is a 5o constant one in large establishments, where there are necessarily always a number of being broken away.

show-windows more or less in the process of dressing and closed to inspection. To overcome all these difficulties, I have devised certain arrangements, parts, and constructions, all as more fully described and specifically claimed hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which- Figure l shows a vertical section through 6o theshow-windowot' a store with adjacent parts of the latter and the basement below. Fig.

2 is a similar view and shows certain of the operating parts in different positions. Fig. 3

is a front View of a store-front, showing Ytwo show-windows, such as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the front of one of' the show-windows The view is also extended down into the basement, showing parts below this particular window, for which 7o purpose it may be assumed that part of the front wall of the basement below such window, together with portions of the ground in front of it, hadbeen removed, as if an excavation had been made. Fig. 4 is a plan view 75 of the parts located in the basement and as they appear` in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of parts to be explained hereinafter.

In the drawings, l0 indicates the front, nsn- 8o ally of plate-glass, of the show-window, the space behind which is assumed to beinclosed by a case, of which ll denotes the side walls andl2 is the rear wall. These Walls may be solid material-that is,wood orwooden frames with glass panels, or wood-lined with looking-glasses. Back of them is the store establishment proper. 13 is the ceiling, dividing this latter from the story above, and 14 is the lioor,'below which the basement is located. 9o l5 is the front wall of this latter.

16 is the liioor of the show-window and carries above it the store-fixtures, (indicated by y 17,)- they being in each view shown as of different arrangement to suit different classes of goods supported by them for exhibition.

As is now the case whenchange of the contents of a window is desired such has to be done inthe limited space behind the plateglass front lO and inclosed by it and walls rco ll, 11, and l2 back of it. Access to this space is usually had through an opening or door in one of these walls, through which opening also the old goods must be passed out and the other ones taken in as Well as the fixtures, which are sometimes changed or rearranged. The objections to this arrangement have already been outlined. To overcome these, I move the entire contents of the show-window bodily and as a whole, fixtures and all, out of the space inclosing them, change them in a space affording room to move freely abont,and replace them again as a whole. For such purpose the fixture-carrying floorl6 of the showwindow is not permanently secured in position, but rests upon a platform 18, having a vertical movement from its highest position, as shown in Fig. 1, when in proper position within the show-window, as shown at the left of Fig. 3, to one in the basement below, as'

shown in dotted lines in same figure and in Fig.2andattherightpartofFigS. Topermit such movement, there is a clear opening below the space of the show-window and in floor 14 of-an area at least as large as the area of floor 16, to which is added such space necessary to afford clearance for free and unobstructed movement. In order to properly maintain this movable iioor and platform in position while in motion, suitable means for guiding them are provided and engage the edges of each or of the platform only. The number and position of these guides (indicated by 19) would to some extent depend on the size of floor 16. There may be only two, one at each of the narrow sides or one at each corner, as shown, and which guides extend up into the space 0f the show-window as far as the travel of the movable parts to be guided require it. It is preferable to permit only platform 18 to have guiding contact with guides 19, and such contact may bean immediate sliding one or there may be friction-rollers 2l interposed, as shown in Fig. 5.

In order to prevent tilting or wabbling of floor 16 and movable platform 18 during their movement, it is preferable to provide for more extended contact of them with guides 19 at points some distance vertically apart. For such purpose there is a framework 22 provided below platform 18, at the corners of the lower part 23 of which similar guide-rollers 21 are provided, as shown for platform 18 above. Forraisingorloweringthisplatformframe any suitable hoisting mechanism may be used. As shown, a rope,cable,or chain 24 is attached toit, one on each side, and passes over guide-pulleys 25 to the source of power, which may be the winding-drum 26 of a handoperated windlass 27 or otherwise.

In large establishments where there are many windows one hoisting apparatus might be used for all or all the winding-dru ms might be alined upon one continuous shaft extending through the entire length behind all the show-windows. It is necessary to provide a pit 28 in the basement to receive frame 22 in order to permit platform 18 to descend to a level with the basement-floor, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, after which the fixture-carry ing iioor 16 maybe rolled off, as shown in Fig. 1. In place of such pit floor 16 might be rolled upon an elevated stage built upon the basement-floor and provided the height of the basement would permit such. For the purpose of such movement fioors 16 are in each case provided with casters 29. It is necessary to cut ont part of guides 19 at the rear, as shown at 31, to permit floor 16 to pass out. The necessity of this depends, however, altogether on the particular shape of the guides, which in this case are angle-irons and may therefore not be necessary in all cases. It is also desirable to provide means for guiding iioor 16 when the same is moved onto platform 18, and for which purpose guide-stops or curbs 32 are provided on platform 18, between which the front casters of floor 16 pass and which insure that this latter is in proper position on platform 18 before the same is hoisted. (See Fig. 4.) 33 in the same figure shows supports bridging the clearance-space between platform 18 and the edge of the pit 28 to permit the casters to pass over.

It will now be readily understood that this arrangement avoids all the difficulties mentioned at the beginning. When dressing of such a window is desired, its entire contents, as shown in Fig. 1 and at the left of Fig. 3, are lowered down into the basement, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 at the right, moved rearwardly out in open accessible space, as shown in Fig. 1, rearranged without trouble or restraining obstacles and with proper light and with a chance to observe the effect before finishing. Next they are moved back again upon platform 18, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and raised np into position behind the plateglass, as shown in Fig. 1 and at the left of Fig. 3. The parts may be held in this position simply by the locking device which holds the windlass-drum against rotation, or additional devices may be provided engaging inwardly platform 18 or the frame connected therewith. As shown, I provide sliding stops 34, which are slid from the rear under platform 18. There may also be a double set of iioors 16 and fixtures for each window, one set being prepared with all leisure, While the other is in position Within the show-window, in which case there takes place a mere exchange only of the lowered show-Window contents with the set prepared below in advance, so that there is practically 11o loss of the use of a show-Window. It is obvious Whore such rapid change is not contemplated or where it is not necessary or desirable to do the dressing of the lowered show-window contents in a position different from the one in which they arrive after lowered that oor 16 may be dispensed with, in which case fixtures 17 would rest directly upon platform 18. This presupposes, further, that there be suiicient room below for such purpose to permit access, particularly from the front. This arrangement would be particularly favored in IOO IIO

IZO

cases where the basement extends also under the sidewalk and where the front wall l5 of such basement would thereforev not be closely up to the front guides, as now shown.

Having described my invention, I claim as newl. The combination with a show-windowinclosure being open vertically in one direction, of a door for it independent from the other parts which form the inclosure of the showwindow provided with casters ou its under side and intended to carry the fixtures, a platform upon which this floor rests, means for moving this platform and floor thereon vertically out of the space below the show-window inclosure to a position where the Hoor with the xtures thereon may be laterally moved oif therefrom and whereby this platform with these parts may be returned again to bring the Hoor back to its normal position within the show-window inclosure, means for detachably holding it in suchnormal position guides to hold platform and floor in proper position during their vertical movement, such guides being cut out at 3l to permitthe lateral movement of the iioor to and from the platform and curbs 32 to guide the floor in such lateral movement.

2. Theeombination withashow-windowinclosure being open below, where it communicates with a laterally open space, of a floor for this inclosu re which normally closes this open'- ing therein, a combined platform and frame tween said guides and means to hold the parts in their raised position.

3. The combination withashow-windowinclosure being open below, of a floor for this inclosure which normally closes this opening therein, a combined platform and frame 22 upon which this door rests in a manner to be free for lateral removal therefrom, said platform-frame being capable of a descending movement, a pit to receive this platformframe to permit its descent to a depth bringing the show-window floor to a level with the stationary ioor surrounding the top of the pit to permit such show-window oor to be laterally moved o and on from such platform, supports bridging the clearance between the platform-frame and the edge of the pit when the former is in its lowest position, means for raising these parts to return the floor to its normal position within the showwindow inclosure, guides between which this platform-frame travels during its movements and means to hold the parts in their raised position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HAMILTON HUNTER.

Witnesses C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE. 

